Happy Wednesday in NYC, where, if you’re an immigration judge, I hope you had time for lunch today.
A couple of weeks ago, a federal judge barred the Trump administration from pursuing its favored tactic of deploying Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to immigration courts. Now, federal immigration authorities are rolling out so-called “mega master” proceedings, in which dozens of court cases are scheduled back-to-back on a single day. This, in conjunction with mass layoffs of immigration judges over the last year, makes for a crushing logjam of deportation cases.
“I have such a voluminous docket today,” Immigration Judge Arya Ranasinghe, who was assigned 121 cases on Monday, told the City Reporter. “It’s just some fun new adventure. We do the best we can.”
To immigrant advocates, mega masters represent the latest strategy from the Trump administration to circumvent due process in pursuit of the president’s mass deportation agenda.
“Instead of allowing them to go through the process and uphold their rights, they’re going to continue to try to undermine our community’s rights every single day,” Murad Awawdeh, president of the New York Immigration Coalition, told Politico.
Thirty-nine of the 121 people scheduled for Judge Ranasinghe’s court on Monday did not show up and were promptly issued deportation orders. However, several people who did attend court on Monday told the City Reporter that they did not receive notice of their scheduled hearing change by mail, and only got word by frequently checking their online portals.
A Justice Department spokesperson touted mega master hearings as a solution to the nation’s backlog of deportation cases. “The Justice Department is restoring integrity to our immigration system by hearing cases fairly, expeditiously, and uniformly, in accordance with the law,” the unnamed spokesperson said in a statement.
Yet, to many opponents of the new policy, the central question is this: can a judge consistently rule fairly when they’ve been handed a caseload longer than most diner menus?
Governor Kathy Hochul announced $82.2 million awarded through the New York State Council on the Arts’ Capital Projects Fund to support 132 projects in every region of the state, including nearly $4 million for 8 arts and cultural organizations in Brooklyn.
A man says he fought off a robber and fatally stabbed him with his own knife during a burglary attempt in Little Haiti on Friday.
New York Democrats take the first steps toward an aggressive 2028 redistricting plan by moving forward with a proposal to change the state constitution’s redistricting rules.
The New York Aquarium hosts a family-friendly celebration of aquatic life this weekend for World Oceans Day, inviting guests of all ages to their annual Shell-a-Bration on June 6-7.
A former Brooklyn Heights resident was arraigned on an indictment that charged her with stealing more than $700,000 from the 40-unit Brooklyn Heights co-op where she served as board president.
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Our World In Photos
Photo: Allison Robbert/AP
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A cabinet member performs his most demanding task — defending a Donald Trump social media post: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent holds up a Truth Social post by President Donald Trump during the Senate Committee on Finance hearing to examine the President's proposed budget request for fiscal year 2027, Wednesday, June 3, 2026 in Washington.
For more pictures like this, see Our World in Photos.
The World Cup and human trafficking: What the research reveals about the real risks at major sporting events
The FIFA World Cup Trophy is displayed before a press conference at Rockefeller Plaza, June 16, 2022, in New York. Photo: Noah K. Murray/AP, File
As U.S. cities prepare to host the FIFA World Cup, familiar warnings about human trafficking “spikes” at major sporting events have reemerged.
Media outlets point to elevated risks, advocacy groups roll out awareness campaigns, and city authorities and law enforcement ramp up anti-trafficking efforts.
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For the Road
Movies With A View: Brooklyn Bridge Park announced the lineup for its 26th annual free summer film series, Movies With A View, set for Thursdays in July and August at Pier 1’s Harbor View Lawn. The lawn opens at 6 p.m., first-come, first-served, and movies begin at sunset. Guests can bring food, picnic blankets and cushions, but glass bottles, outside alcohol and lawn chairs are not allowed on the lawn. See the full lineup.
Happy Birthday to CNN anchor Anderson Cooper!
On this day in 1963, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “Since we haven’t much hope of winning secession from the city, perhaps we of Brooklyn can get a concession instead.”
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